Tag Archive - family

Early Childhood Winning: Birth-Three

February 1, 2012 in Ministry with 0 Comments

I believe the real horror of Nursery Ministry is when leaders fail to teach to the level of learning of their kids.  When we start to define success for our leaders, set realistic expectations, get to know our kids, and submit our needs to prayer we can begin to lead in new and creative ways.  I’ve found the following materials as it relates to development of kids and I’d like to share!

What should I expect both developmentally and spiritually?  

Speaking directly about those kids between one years old and three, I’ve found the following information.

Developmentally // One – Three

By one:

  • Follows moving objects with eyes
  • Recognizes differences among people
  • Responds to and imitates facial expressions
  • Responds to very simple directions
  • Puts small objects in and out of container with intention

Between one and two:

  • Imitates actions and words of adults
  • Understands and follows simple, familiar directions
  • Is able to match similar objects
  • Looks at storybooks with adults
  • Recognizes difference between you and me
  • Has very limited attention span
  • Accomplishes learning through own exploration

Between two and three:

  • Responds to simple directions
  • Stacks rings on pegs in order of size
  • Recognized self in mirror, saying baby, or own name
  • Can talk briefly about what he/she is doing; imitates adult actions
  • Has limited attention span; learning is through exploration and adult direction

Spiritually

Infancy – 3 Years // Sensing Security

The greatest need is to feel that the world is a safe place and that the people in it are dependable.  The sense of security and trust usually comes from the family and provides a foundation for children to trust God.  The primary learning tool is mimicking.

Ministry Implications:

  • Talk, Read, play, sing, and pray with children
  • Involve children in activities with other children and adults.
  • Begin family faith traditions and holiday rituals.
  • Provide parenting classes and support groups for parents
  • Baby Dedications or baptism ceremonies.

Forcing Us to Grow

January 26, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

Let’s talk about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything, and it Helps to Make our Message Real.  The other great side-effect of serving in an uncomfortable place is it Forces us as Leaders to Grow.

When we take ourselves of the comfort our churches afford us, we begin to see all kinds of discipleship happen in our own lives.  I know what your thinking… “Where are you getting this churches lead to comfort talk?”

I believe that when all our interaction with people is within the confines of our Christian environments, that we become separate from the real lives of so many around us.  We actually begin to exists in environments we can explicitly control, and when we control the environment of our interactions we can easily grow comfortable.  When we step outside of those things we can control, then we are forced to be hands and feet for a gospel message to those that need it the most.

It’s time that we make personal growth and discipleship a priority, and just as we encourage people to serve in our areas of ministry; we need to back it up with our own service in their lives.  Don’t believe the myth that all your personal growth will happen within the context of your local church.  You can and will grow as a leader and a believer by taking the reality of the gospel outside your church walls and into your community.

 

Helping to Make our Message Real

January 25, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

Let’s talk about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything, and it doesn’t end there.  One of the most important benefits to us as leaders to serve outside of our churches, is it Helps to Make our Message Real.

I know that for years I would speak, preach, teach, and talk family, family, family.  However, it wasn’t until I started fostering kids in my home that people began to listen.  There is something about backing up your message that will soften the hearts of the people you lead.  Those you influence will begin to see you truly leading from your passions in all areas of your life, and there may be no greater testimony that that to the people in our churches.

What in our personal life backs up what you preach?  And don’t say the work you do at the church! That’s only part of it.  Your calling is bigger than that 3 hour window on Sunday Mornings!  Put some legs to all your talk of life-change, family discipleship, and bringing hope to children.  It’s time for those in churches to back up our Sunday talk with some Monday living.  We are not exempt from community outreach, just because we are ministers within a local church.

But what does it look like?  That’s up for you to decide.  

The Church Can’t Do Everything

January 24, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 4 Comments

This week we are talking about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything.

I believe that it was never the intention of the local church to replace individual outreach.  It’s not the church’s job to reach out to my next door neighbor, or coach my kids baseball team, or volunteer at the public school in my community, or share Christ with the hurting world I interact with everyday.  As Christians, it is our duty to bring life change to wherever we are living.

The purpose of the church is more of a launching pad.  There is no doubt that we can create some effective outreach from within the walls of our church community, and I’ve seen great churches make an impact in their communities as a whole.  But, isn’t church also to be the place that we launch people out into the world?  Isn’t the local church meant to encourage those in attendance to live a life that brings glory to God and therefore spread the Gospel the world over?

Those of us working in churches, are often the last ones to get this message.  We spend 50+ hours a week creating amazing experiences for the families that attend our church (and we should), but many of us spend rarely an hour a year investing in our community without our church name badge on.  Why?  This has got to change if we are truly to be leaders at taking the Gospel to a hurting world.

Let us force the community of believers we serve with to see Christianity as permeating our everyday life.  Let’s bring light to our hurting communities, and in the process bring the light to our own churches.  I’ve never once served in my community, and NOT seen my church get the attention in some way.

Many of us have personal passions that we are dreaming of fulfilling, and fell restricted by our local church.  Let this not be.  It’s my prayer that you find the solution to carry on the mission of your calling both inside your church walls and outside them as well.

Outside of the Church

January 23, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 0 Comments

I’ve been in a struggle.  This week, I’d like to take you on a journey my family and I have been on for the past couple of years.

I serve in a local church.  I love the local church, and I fully support the mission my church lives to fulfill.  However, how do we take this great message of hope and salvation, and move it outside of our church walls? And more specifically, how do we do it as a family outside of our homes? I’d like to evaluate the different reasons that Church leaders should be investing in their communities on an individual level.

Before talking about any of this, I believe it’s important to talk about what the church is.  For me, I sincerely believe that:

  • The Church is the vehicle that takes God’s plan for salvation to the world at-large.
  • The Church is the greatest organization to bring about true life-giving relationships in the world.
  • The Church should be the greatest collective effort of believers to reach the community in which it resides.
  • The Church is strong relevant, and growing!

 Why be involved in your local community, when your church does so much already?

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